Perilously Close and in Danger of Falling
by kira66
Summary: When Captain Kathryn Janeway and Ensign Harry Kim were left stranded on a planet closely resembling hell, they are sure that they'll never see Voyager and its crew ever again.
1. Chapter 1

"A year." Kathryn Janeway, former Captain of the Starship Voyager, whispered to the small, big eared, furry, creature sitting at her feet as she stared out the dirty window at the over crowded, bustling, city below. "A whole year." She shook her head as a sad sigh escaped her lips. "What do you think, Rio? Should we drink the night away or..." She paused, tilting her head to the side trying to think of something else to do on the anniversary of her exile, her abandonment, by her own crew. "Drinking it is!" Her voice went from somber to joyous in a matter of moments, not an unusual occurrence for her. Mood swings was just another part of her life since arriving on _Hell Hole_, her personal name for _Artius_, the planet she had been left on by her _loyal_ crew. "Loyal my ass." She grumbled as she sat down on the bed and removed a small silver flask from her broken down bedside table. Unscrewing the top, she placed it to her lips and downed the bitter liquid in two, solid, gulps. "That's more like it."

Rio, or Riok-Teyx, eyed his mistress with a pity filled gaze. Whining softly, he hopped up onto the bed beside her and laid his scruffy head on her leg. At first being bonded to this sad woman had been difficult for Rio. Her change in mood and erratic behavior scared him but he owed her for saving his life. He had little doubt that the woman knew nothing of their bond and just viewed him as a _pet_, whatever that was, but he didn't mind. It was easier if a Protector's Protected didn't know about their connection to each other.

Kathryn sighed and ran a hand through her grimy hair, having run out of water credits some three months prior. At first it had been a hardship, not being able to bath, but as the days passed, so did her urge to actually clean herself. At least this way, dirty, sweaty, grimy, she fit in better amongst the locals. Glancing at the small device, embedded in her wrist, she sighed again. "Well, I have two hours before my shift so we better get adrinkin' my furry friend." Unconsciously, her hand began to move through Rio's stiff, bristly, fur. "You're not going to let me up, are you?" A smile touched her lips as she eyed her companion of eleven months. "You're too sweet for your own good or mine for that matter." Her fingers moved to a long, jagged, scar that stretched the top of the Rio's head. "I should have killed the bastard." She grumbled then shook her head. "But you wouldn't let me." Blue-grey eyes moved back to her Teyx, the species of her companion or so she had been told. "You always seem to stop me from doing something incredible stupid." Silence stretched for a long minute. "I don't deserve you." Long gone was her joyous mood only to be replaced by bitterness and utter despair. "Or maybe I should have left him kill me?" It wasn't a question to be answer but rather to be posed. "Enough of this!" Grunting, she pushed Rio's head off her leg and stood, pacing back to the window. Darkness was falling and soon the streets would be empty except for the workers heading to the mines and mills that made up the outer rim of the city. "At least I'm a Voron now and not a Norov."

Voron's were the overseers assigned to keep an eye on the mines while the Norov were the workers, the lower class. Being a Voron meant that you survived your time in both the mills and the mines, not a small feat. Out of the more than one hundred thousand Norov, only about one percent advanced to Voron.

Whining again, Rio took his place at his mistresses feet again. _All will be well, little one._ He thought as he leaned his head against the rough fabric that made up her pant leg. _The key is not to give up hope._ He'd give comfort whenever he could. When she was distracted like this, it was easier than when she was calm, subdued. If his Protected were aware of their bond, then he could give comfort in a more direct way. But with each passing day, it was getting harder and harder to give comfort and keep her more erratic emotions at bay. He knew that if something didn't change soon, his Protected would cease to be. She'd turn into a shell of her former self, emotionless and adrift. A state she was perilously close to, already. _Cheer-up, tomorrow is another day. Maybe your ship will come for you then._ But he, like his mistress, had given up any chance at seeing this _Starship_ that she used to speak of so often.

A high pitched whistle, designed so that only the Norov and their Voron overseers could hear it, broke the silence of the night. So caught up in thought, Kathryn didn't even register the passage of time. Blinking, slowly, it took a moment for her to pull herself from her thoughts and get moving. "I miss them." She whispered to her darkened room, Rio the only one hearing her. "Well, I'm off to work." Crossing the room towards the door, she stopped at her night stand and picked up a small crest shaped like an attacking bird, and attached it to her vest in the same spot her communicator once sat. This crest marked her as an Voron and afforded her all rights and privileges associated with that position, which wasn't many. "I'll see you in three passages, Rio." Smiling, she left the room and hurried down the hall towards the stairs. Once outside, she took a moment to breath in the stank, smoke filled air. "Another day, another dular, right Andar?" She asked the small, dark skinned, stocky man that appeared at her side the moment she stepped outside her dwelling. "Join me?" She started to walk towards the mines.

"Aye, Voron Ka, another dular indeed." Andar answered as he fell into step beside her as she moved towards the outer rim of the city. "How is your Teyx?"

Kathryn shook her head. "I swear Rio knows me better than I know myself." Andar was the only other Voron that she was close to. Sure, she was friendly with the others in her mine, but Andar was the only one she considered to be a friend. "What are you going to do after your passages tonight?"

Andar seemed to consider her question before a large grin threatened to split his large, knobbly, head in two. "I intend to spent this days dular on much needed...entertainment." His grin turned into a smirk. "You should join me, you'd enjoy yourself, Ka."

"Entertainment?" Kathryn raised her eyebrow then laughed. "I'm sure I would, Andar. You heading to the Crawl?"

"Is there anyplace else for us Voron to go?" Andar asked. "The other establishments will be filled with Norov." He shuttered at the thought of having to interact with the lower class anywhere except at work.

Kathryn found herself nodding and sharing his sentiment. At first she couldn't understand the dislike between the two groups but over time she slowly came to realize that the dislike was well founded. The Norov were nothing but animals while the Voron were a little more cultured and well behaved. "Maybe I'll take you up on the offer, Andar. I could use a little entertainment, myself."

Andar raised his big bushy eyebrows. "Then I will meet you at the Crawl after our passages." With the plans laid out, he separated from his friend and headed for his station. On his way, he pushed a slow moving Norov out of his path, causing the younger man to stumble and fall. "Worthless swine!" He bellowed when he noticed that the man didn't get up. Removing a small club like object from his belt, he pointed it at the fallen man. "Get up or forfeit your worthless life!" He bellowed as a crowd of Norov began to form around him.

"This isn't a teleplay!" Kathryn yelled as she pushed through the crowd, trying to get them to return to their duties. Once she had reached her friend, she turned to face the crowd, removing her own club. "I said, this isn't a teleplay!" Her voice dropped to a quiet growl as she slammed the club against the palm of her hand. "Leave now or I will kill him myself!" She turned towards the fallen man and watched out of the corner of her eye as the crowd hurried away. Sighing, she stared down her nose at the dirty, filthy, pile of rags, posing as a humanoid, laying on the ground. "I'll handle this, Andar. Go man your station."

"Aye, Voron Ka." Andar turned on his heels and entered his assigned mineshaft. He knew the man would not escape punishment.

Kathryn felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end when she saw the top of a blonde head poke out of the rags. Swallowing, she took a step back. "Stand up!" She commanded and waited. "What is your name and duty, Norov?!" She demanded when the man didn't answer her immediately.

The fallen man grunted but easily pushed himself to his feet, adjusting his outfit, if it could even be called that. "Cullym, Hauler." He finally answered, gruffly.

Pulling her hand back, she used her club to hit the man across the face for failing to address her properly. "You will address me as, Voron, Norov!" She barked and lowered her hand. "Now, try again!"

"Cullym, Hauler, Voron!" The young man barked out, copying her tone of voice. He fought the urge to wipe away the blood from his split lip and could only imagine the bruise he was going to have on his cheek.

Kathryn eyed the man. "Cullym isn't an Artian name. What ship did you come in on?"

"Ship, Voron?" _Cullym_ was beginning to sweat. This wasn't going according to plan.

"I know you." Kathryn whispered as she peered at the dirty face peaking out of the face covering. Face coverings were worn by native Artian males and signified their status within the lower class. And if she knew her Artian culture, the man standing before her had a face covering of a high standing family. "Are you an outsider?"

_Cullym _mentally groaned and shook his head. "No, Voron." _What was with this lady?_ "As I said before, I am a Hauler."

Kathryn's face and eyes hardened. "You're lying to me, Norov. I am well within my rights to take your life as payment for the lie. So tell me the truth or I will kill you."

"Alright." _Cullym_ held up his dirty hands in surrender. "My name is Tom Paris and I'm with the Starship Voyager. I'm here looking for...a friend. My Captain actually. Think you could help me, Voron?" His voice took on a sarcastic edge.

"Voyager?" Kathryn whispered before grabbing _Cullym_ or rather Tom by the arm and dragging him towards the small building she used to oversee the mine. Flicking on the light, she pushed him inside and shut the door, making sure it locked. "Tom?"

Tom nodded and blinked at the change in lighting. "Yup, that's my name. So, do you think you could help me find my Captain?"

Kathryn eyed the man, suspiciously. It was obvious that he didn't recognize her and for now she'd use that to her advantage. "So you are not a Norov?" She asked with narrowed eyes.

"Eh, no. Actually..." Tom rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't really know what a Norov is...or a Voron for that matter. We've been studying this planet for several months now and we still haven't learned anything." He gave the woman a sheepish look. "We can offer payment for your help."

"What if your _Captain_ doesn't wish to be found, Tom Paris of Voyager? Or what if she is dead? This planet isn't very hospitable to outsiders." Kathryn asked as she crossed her arms and leaned back against the wall.

Tom frowned and removed the face covering, tucking it into the folds of his clothes. Wiping away the sweat from his face, he eyed his potential captor or savior, it could go either way. "I..." He sighed. "Will you help me or not?" Frustration leaked into his voice.

Kathryn turned away from Tom and took a moment to survey the monitors mounted on the wall opposite her. "I will be at the Crawl after my passages." She finally said as she focused back on him.

"The Crawl, what's that? Passages?" Tom was confused and it clearly showed on his face. "Explain." He asked in a hushed voice.

"Very well." Kathryn marched up to him and showed him the device embedded in the flesh of her wrist. "There are three passages...shifts...in a day. As a Voron, I am expected to work all three passages." She motioned to the monitors. "And as head Voron, I am expected to monitor and look out for the workers or Norov." She was silent for a moment. "The Crawl is a Voron...entertainment establishment. Better?"

Tom grimaced when he saw the device sunk into the skin of the womans wrist. "Much, thank you?" He wanted to know her name.

Kathryn tilted her head to the side. "Voron Ka or Ka, if you prefer." Her eyes darted back to the monitors, looking for any sign of trouble. "Tell me more of your Captain, how did she get here?" She moved over to the lone chair that sat in the middle of the room and sat down so she could talk and watch the monitors at the same time.

"Our Commander was...ill at the time. An alien took over his body and mind without our knowing it. He slowly became...different...from what we were used to. Finally, he staged a mutiny onboard our ship, which failed. Upon his failure, he captured the Captain and beamed her onto this planet, which we happened to be orbiting at the time. He took command of the ship and ordered us to leave. There was nothing we could do but follow his orders." A helplessness overwhelmed him as the memories of that day, exactly a year ago, surfaced. "Six months ago he ordered us to attack a convoy and during the battle, the Commander was killed, along with the alien presence. We didn't find out about the alien until the Doctor told us. Soon after that we turned the ship around and came back here to search for our Captain. For months we've been scanning the planets surface but we can't find her so I was asked to come down and look around. The rest of the story you already know."

"Yes, you got in Andar's way and I saved you. You're life, by our laws, is mine." Kathryn explained then smiled. "But I will not ask for payment now, I will wait until you have found your lost crewman. Acceptable?"

Tom nodded, quickly. "Very acceptable, Ka." He took a moment to look at the monitors and raised an eyebrow. "So you're the big cheese, aye? How many ...Norov do you have working for you?"

Kathryn shook her head and followed his line of sight. "I have over ten thousand Norov in my mine. And I am overseer of thirty smaller operations. So altogether I have about thirty thousand Norov working for me."

"Really? So many? How can you keep track of them all?" Tom couldn't imagine keeping track of thirty thousand people, let alone workers.

"The same way I used to be tracked." Kathryn tapped her wrist. "Each device is hooked up to a processor. If a Norov isn't doing what he or she is supposed to...I can correct it with a push of a button. And if a device stops transmitting data, I know that that Norov needs replaced."

Tom blinked. "You used to be a Norov then?"

Kathryn nodded once. "Of course, how else do you think someone becomes a Voron? You earn the position once you have survived passages in both the mines and the mills. Not many make it." She admitted with an air of indifference. "Enough about me, meet me at the Crawl after my passages and I'll try to help you locate your Captain." She focused back on the monitors just as a beep caught her attention. Leaning forward, she pushed a button off to her left and smirked with satisfaction as the beeping ceased. "One more thing, Tom Paris of Voyager, I suggest you find an outfit of a Voron to wear, wearing what you have on into the Crawl will get you killed." She threw over her shoulder without turning around.

Feeling as if he had been dismissed, Tom turned, unlocked the door and disappeared into the night where he felt the familiar tingling of the transporter surround him.


	2. Chapter 2

The Crawl, Tom discovered, was nothing more than a hole in the wall. It was located in the back of a rundown, burnt out, building. Upon entering, his first reaction was to gag at the smell. The air was thick with sweat and something akin to alcohol. Taking several deep breaths, he moved deeper into the _establishment_, keeping a look out for Ka, the woman that had agreed to help him. He had to stop several times to give his eyes time to adjust to the quickly fading light. Just when he thought he was going to have to turn around, the passageway that he had been following opened up into a large, very noisy, very crowded, room. There was some kind of noise being broadcasted over the room in which he figured to be the native music. It was still dark but the room seemed to be bathed in a green glow. Squinting, he searched the crowd for Ka and finally spotted her in the very middle of the room surrounded by seven or eight men of different species. They seemed to be crowed around a table of sorts. "Ka?" He called out once he was within hearing distance of her.

Kathryn looked up from the table when she heard her name. "Ah, Tom Paris of Voyager, I hope you didn't have any trouble finding the place?" She said in greeting then looked back to the table just in time to slam her hand down on a spinning spike. For a brief moment she felt pain as the spike embedded itself in her palm but the pain soon faded and she pulled her hand up and left it drop to her side. "Ka'row!" She said with a grin which widened as the men crowded around her began to pay her the dular they had bet.

Tom winced as he stopped at the table and saw the idea of the game being played. "Some game." He mumbled and absentmindedly rubbed his own hand. "I didn't have any trouble finding the place." Which was a lie. It took him over three hours to locate the place but he wasn't about to tell her that.

"Some game, indeed." Kathryn laughed as she counted out four dular and laid them down on the table. "I bet four that my new friend here will be Ka'row. Anyone else?" She watched as those gathered around her and the table eyed the newcomer than began to place their bets either in agreement with her or against her. She motioned for Tom to step up to her side.

Thinking that she must be crazy, Tom joined her and looked down at the very sharp looking spike attached to a wheel that spun. Swallowing, he looked at her, questioningly. "What exactly is Ka'row and why do you think I will be it?" He asked, suspiciously.

Kathryn took hold of the spike and started it spinning. "It's a game." She cryptically explained. "You will find it...interesting." She watched it make several complete cycles before explaining what he had to do. "You place your hand over it like this." She demonstrated by placing her hand over the spinning spike with her palm down. "When you think the spike is directly under your palm, you slam your hand down as hard as you can. If you hit the spike then you win. As you pull your hand away you say 'Ka'row!' got it?"

Tom blinked. "And why would I do that?" He asked.

"Because you wish my help to find your Captain, yes?" Kathryn asked with an arrogant smirk. "You will not be harmed...much."

Sighing, Tom knew that if he wanted her help he had to do what she wanted. So he gathered his courage and placed his hand over the spinning spike. He focused his attention on the rotations then, just as he saw her do, he slammed his hand down as hard as he could. The pain was horrible and just when he thought he was going to pass out, he yanked his hand free of the spike. Trying to calm his racing heart, he noticed that everyone around the table was laughing and paying Ka. "Ka'row!" He mumbled as he swallowed back bile that had risen from his stomach.

Kathryn bowed her head to each of the other players, placed her winnings into a small bag hanging from her belt, then steered Tom over to a high table with equally high chairs. "I had to know that you could be trusted." She explained. "And I needed the dular." Picking up his hand, she examined the nickle sized hole burned into his palm. "You will be alright."

Tom glared at Ka and pulled his hand away. "I was expecting to be jabbed not burned." He grumbled.

"Because I was stabbed, correct?" Kathryn lifted her small frame onto one of the chairs and motioned for a drink. "It's part of the game. It's never what you expect."

"What does Ka'row mean anyways?" Tom asked as a man appeared beside them with two brown, smoking, drinks.

Kathryn lifted her drink to her lips and took a pull, emptying half her glass. "It originally meant warrior but it now means courage. If you are Ka'row, it means you are courageous enough to try the game enough though you know you'll be harmed."

Tom picked up his drink and eyed the smoke pouring over the top of the glass. "What is this?" He sniffed it then quickly sat it back down when his stomach threatened to rebel against the smell.

"Cru." Kathryn finished her drink and then pushed the cup again. "It's not for the faint of heart." She took a moment to search the crowd before looking back to her companion. "The boy will be extra."

Looking away from the drink, Tom frowned. "Boy? What boy?"

Kathryn tapped her fingers on the dirty table top. "You said you would pay me for my services. The boy that came here with your Captain is extra."

Tom had no idea who she was talking about. "I'm still not sure who you are talking about. Our Captain was beamed here, alone."

"I think you are wrong." Kathryn informed him as she motioned for the man behind the makeshift bar to approach her. "Ca tho zee Haree." She told the man in his native tongue then watched as he scurried off into the darkness that surrounded the room. "I can assure you that your Captain did not come to _Artius_ alone."

Racking his brain, Tom tried to figure out who else Chakotay had beamed to the surface. As far as anyone knew, Captain Janeway was the only person forced from the ship. "So you have located the Captain?"

Kathryn inclined her head as the man appeared again this time with a younger man in tow. "You could say that." Pulling the bag hanging from her belt free, she reached inside and withdrew a handful of gold dular. "Ista loas rema, Haree." She pointed to the younger man, who had his eyes downcast, then thrust the handful of dular at the man she had sent on the errand. Clearing her throat, she waited until the three of them were alone before speaking. "Teka, Harry." She adjusted her accent back to English.

The young man looked up and large smile lit up his dirty, drawn, face. " Teka, Ka." His voice was gruff, almost like he didn't use it much. "It is good to see you again." He couldn't keep the emotion out of his voice.

"What did I tell you?" Kathryn asked, a smile lighting her own face.

Harry pulled himself up onto one of the empty chairs at the table. "I never doubted you." His gaze left Kathryn and focused at the other occupant of the table. "Teka, Tom!"

Tom blinked and looked closer. A sharp intake of breath signaled that he recognized the young man. "My God, Harry?" He knew his mouth was hanging open but he couldn't seem to close it. "We thought you were dead!" He exclaimed as he stood and went to embrace his lost friend. He stopped when he saw the younger man shrink away.

Kathryn placed a hand on Harry's arm to calm him down. "Coron's are..._taught_...that physical touch is not allowed. Young Harry here had that lesson beaten into him for two months straight."

"Coron?" Tom asked as he retook his seat across from Harry.

"Servant." Harry answered for himself. "I was too young to be Norov." He explained. "I was told that I wouldn't last a day in the mills and no more than a few hours in the mines. I was taken as Coron instead."

"I saw him at a sale a few cycles ago and purchased him for a reasonable price. His previous Voron was displeased with his lack of skills." Kathryn further explained. "I could afford to buy him but not keep him so I came to an..._agreement_...with the owner of this fine Voron establishment. He'd take the boy on as an Aloron, apprentice, and I'd pay him one dular each half cycle until I could afford to have a Coron. He treated you well, yes?"

Harry nodded. "He was going to get me my Norov papers. Said I had the spirit to become a Voron."

Kathryn gave Harry an affectionate look. "I always knew you'd make a good Commander, Ensign." She then turned serious eyes towards Tom. "He is one of yours, yes?"

Tom nodded, mutely. It was clear that Harry and this Ka woman had some sort of bond but what sort he couldn't figure out. "You'll be paid whatever you ask for." He assured her.

"Paid?" Harry looked at Kathryn, questioning. But instead of voicing his confusion, a barely noticeable shake of her head caused him to stay quiet. "It is good to see you, Tom."

"It's good to you too, Harry." Tom couldn't wait to get back to the ship and tell everyone that Harry was still alive. "I should really be..." He slid off the stool and instead of standing sunk to the floor, his legs unable to hold him. "What's wrong with me?"

Kathryn chuckled as she motioned for Harry to help her with Tom. "You are Ka'row." She lead them through the crowd and out of the building. "People do not play Ka'row for fun, Tom Paris of Voyager. Most can't help themselves." She lead them through the streets to the housing unit in which she was assigned.

Harry blinked as he stumbled slightly under Tom's weight. "Ka'row?" He eyed his pale friend. "Why would you play that?"

Tom moaned as a shutter ran up and down his spine. "Your friend made me." Even to his own ears that sounded childish. "What did you do to me?"

"I had to know I could trust him." Kathryn said with a shrug of her shoulder. She then lead the two men into her unit and up the stairs to her small, sparse, room. "Lay him on the bed. It's going to bet worse before it gets better." Carefully, she maneuvered Tom towards her small bed and left him fall onto it. Searching his pockets, she removed his communicator and laid it on the broken down bedside table beside her almost empty flask. "I did nothing to you, Mister Paris." She mumbled as she moved him around until he was laying, comfortably, on the bed. "Ka'row is highly addictive to newbees. When your hand makes contact with the Ru, the spike, it releases a highly addictive mood altering substance into your body. I suggest you close your eyes and enjoy the feeling of elation because as the effects wear off...it isn't going to be pretty."

Moaning again, Tom barely had enough strength to nod his head before he was swept away in a torrent of sensations and emotions.

"I thought Voyager was long gone." Harry whispered once he was sure Tom was to far gone to hear anything being said.

Kathryn pulled two chairs out from the small table that sat in the corner. She sat down in one and motioned for Harry to take the other. "Apparently Chakotay is dead. That's the only reason they turned around and came back. From what Tom told me yesterday, Chakotay was taken over by an alien life form. Six months ago he ordered Voyager to attack a convoy and he, along with the alien, was killed in the battle that ensued." She looked over at her helmsman. "I never thought I'd see any of them again."

Harry nodded in agreement and jumped when small, big eared, furry, creature jumped up onto his lap.

"Rio, it isn't polite to jump on people you don't know." Kathryn chided her Teyx. "Harry this is Rio, Rio this is a good friend of mine, Harry. Rio is a Teyx." She then motioned to Tom. "That's Tom and he's also a friend." She reached over and plucked Rio off Harry's lap and sat him on her own.

"A Teyx? I thought they were only myth." Harry leaned over to get a closer look at the creature. "I've read about these. Their guardians right?"

Kathryn smiled as she stroked her _pet_. "He is a guardian but don't expect him to admit that. He likes to think I'm clueless about him." She whispered in amusement. Truth be told, she knew exactly what Rio was about two days after she had saved him. A local merchant had filled her in on her newest companion and she didn't have the heart to refuse the comfort that he was subtly offering her over their newly formed bond.

Harry looked over to the bed as another moan caught his attention. "He's going to feel like brax tomorrow."

"Yes, he is." Kathryn agreed. "I remember the first few times I played Ka'row. I didn't understand why I had the urge, the need, to play the game again and again. Andar took pity on me and explained the workings of the game. He then took me to a friend of his that had an...antidote...for the narcotic used. It took four injections, two weeks of being as sick as a Runee, and twenty dular but I finally got over my addiction and became immune; not that I'd tell anyone that."

Shaking his head, Harry laughed. It felt good to be back amongst friends. He had to admit that he had missed the Captains dry wit. He yawned and rubbed his eyes, it had been a long day.

Kathryn continued to stroke Rio's stiff, bristly, fur. "You should get some sleep, Harry. Tomorrow is going to be a long day. There's an extra blanket in the closet and I hear the floor is nice and hard this time of year."

Harry blinked, stood, got the blanket out of the closet, and laid down on the floor beside the bed. "I've slept on worse." He assured her and within seconds he was asleep.

Sleep was a little less forthcoming for Kathryn. So for the entire night, she sat, thinking until she dropped off into an exhausted slumber near dawn.


	3. Chapter 3

Kathryn crouched down beside Harry's prone form and gently laid a hand on his shoulder. "Time to wake up." She whispered.

After a few seconds the soft snores ceased. "I'm up." Harry mumbled and cracked open his eyes. "It wasn't a dream." He stated and sat up.

"Nope, not a dream." Kathryn stood up and groaned as her knees and back protested the movement. "I got breakfast." She motioned towards the table. "Help yourself."

Harry pushed himself to his feet and walked over to the table. "Thanks." He grabbed one of the colorless, tasteless, odorless, bars and took a bite, chewing happily. "You must have been up early." He peered through the one, dirty, window that the room had. "Helios isn't yet high in the sky."

Kathryn sat down on the edge of the bed and laid a hand on Tom's damp forehead. "I was up just as Helios touched the sky." Which meant she got hardly any sleep at all. "Tom decided tour the city without a guide." She explained.

Stopping mid-chew, Harry blinked. "He wondered out onto the streets at Helios break?" He turned his head to look at his friends rumpled form. "How much trouble did he get into?"

"I caught him propositioning one the overseers daughters." Kathryn said as she picked up a damp cloth laying on the bedside table and laid it on Tom's warm forehead.

Harry choked on his last bite of substance bar. "Which daughter?" The overseers daughters were notorious around the city. They prowled the streets just as Helios rose looking for another to add to their collections. "And when's the bonding?" He felt pity for his friend.

Kathryn moved away from the sleeping helmsman and joined Harry at the table. "Kero." She picked up one of the bars and bit into it. "And there will be no bonding. I will not have a member of my crew added to Kero's collection. Besides, Mister Paris doesn't strike me as bondmate number twenty material." She leaned back in her chair. "The sooner we can leave the planet, the better."

"And we can't leave until Tom wakes up." Harry surmised as he devoured another of the substance bars. "Can I ask you something?"

"Go ahead." Kathryn finished her meager breakfast.

Harry looked down at the table and traced the dents in the surface with his finger. "Why don't you want Tom to know who you are?"

Kathryn nodded, expecting this question. "It's been a year, Harry. I gave up hope long ago." She sighed wishing that Rio was there to give her comfort. "I've actually come to accept this place as home and I guess I'm just as weary of outsiders as the others."

"You're lying." Harry stated, confidently. "I'm Coron, remember? We're trained to detect dishonesty or we wouldn't be any use to our Voron masters. I may be inexperienced but I can still detect a falsehood." He paused for a moment. "I've been here for a year too, I think I'll understand."

"I'm sure you will." Kathryn couldn't help but compare this young man to the boy she first met at Deep Space Nine. "But you shouldn't have to." She sighed. "Very well. I didn't tell him because I didn't trust him, not at first. How was I suppose to know if he was really here to find me or finish me off? I guess I felt safer having the upper hand."

Harry nodded, understandingly. "That's why you had him play Ka'row, isn't it?"

Kathryn nodded, once. "He followed a...subtle...order. If he had been apart of Chakotay's mutiny, I figured he wouldn't take orders from anybody, especially a stranger. It's the only way I could be sure of his true intentions."

"You could've just asked." Tom rasped from the bed as he lifted his head up and stared, bleary eyed, at the two sitting at the table.

"How are you feeling, Mister Paris?" Kathryn asked as she stood and moved over to the bed.

Tom pushed himself up a little further and groaned. "Like I was run over by a targ. What time is it?" He asked as he swung his legs over the bed.

"Helios is high." Harry answered as he stood and joined Kathryn at the bed. "Teka, Tom." He greeted when his friends blue eyes landed on him.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Tom asked as he stood and abruptly fell backwards onto the bed.

Kathryn couldn't contain her mirth as she helped the grumpy Tom sit back up. "It means that Helios is high." She pointed to the window.

Tom blinked as he looked towards the dirty window. "You mean the sun is high? It's noon?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "That's what I said." He saw no difference in what he said and what Tom just said. He held out his hand which contained one of the substance bars. "Eat this, your stomach will settle."

Seeing Tom's disgusted face, Kathryn raised an eyebrow. "I can make that an order, Mister Paris. You'd do well to listen to Harry, he knows what he's talking about."

"Yes, Captain." Tom mumbled as he took , what he thought looked like a brown blob, the offered bar. Taking a bite, he fought back a shutter at the strange taste that assaulted his taste buds. "I thought Neelix's cooking was bad." He mumbled but took another bite as his stomach began to settle. As he lowered the bar, he blinked and looked at his wrist. "What's this?" He held out his hand, palm up.

Kathryn didn't even looked at Tom's wrist, she already knew what would be there. "You left the safety of my room just as Helios was rising." She explained as she moved around the room gathering her meager possessions together. "You propositioned Kero while you were out." She explained.

Tom stared down at the mark, it looked kinda like an old earth tattoo except it was black and looked like some kind of bird posed to attack. "I propositioned someone named Kero and got a tattoo?"

"Kero is the overseers oldest daughter." Harry explained as he sat down on the bed beside his friend. "And it's not a tattoo, it's a brand."

"A brand? Like they used to put on cattle back on earth?" Tom had no memories of the event. "What does it mean?"

"The overseer has three daughters; Kero, Keno, and Keyo. They amuse themselves by collecting mates. That brand signifies that you're to be Kero's twentieth conquest. You'll be bonded to her, at Helios' set, in a ceremony that is rumored to be very painful then sent to live at her compound in the mountains where your soul purpose in life will be to serve her." Kathryn explained.

Harry took over the explanation, having a little more knowledge on the subject. "You'll basic become a glorified Coron with one exception. Coron's can be sold but not killed, it's against the overseers Devine law; no living being shall be killed if it can still serve a purpose and carry out a labor. The daughters tire of their Coron quickly and usually send them to the mines where they don't last more than a cycle. But if they are truly displeased with their Coron's service, then they just kill them. They're the exception to the law."

Tom paled sometime during their explanation. "What do I do?"

Kathryn looked around the small room which she had called home for a year. "You contact the ship and get us out of here. Once you're off the planet, you'll be out of danger. You can try and have the brand removed but I don't think it can be, believe me I've tried."

"I think everybody with a mark or a brand has tried to have it removed but I don't think anyone has succeeded." Harry added.

"You have one of these?" Tom asked as he motioned towards his wrist.

"We both do." Kathryn answered as she handed him his communicator off the bedside table and tucked her flask into her pocket. "Nobody is free on _Artius_. We all belong to the overseer." She turned around and lifted her hair away from her neck where her brand was located. It was identical to Tom's except it was angry red instead of black.

Harry pulled down the neck of his shirt just a bit to show Tom the brand on his collar bone which matched the Captains.

Tom shook his head. "If Chakotay wasn't already dead, I would kill him. Hell, I think everybody onboard would. What you two have gone through...it's imaginable."

Kathryn cleared her throat. "Call Voyager, Mister Paris. I'm ready to go home." She looked down as Rio appeared by her foot. "You coming along after all?" She chuckled and bent down to pick up her little friend.

So Tom did exactly as he was told and soon they were saying goodbye to _Artius_ and materializing onboard Voyager where the senior crew was waiting to greet their long lost family members. He stayed on the transporter platform and watched as the Captain was greeted with hugs and Harry was greeted with enthuastic pats on the back and handshakes, his being alive was really a shock but the crew accepted it in stride. Everybody was just happy to have the crew back together.

**

* * *

**"It is good to see you well, Captain." Tuvok, acting Captain, stated once the excitement of having them back onboard had faded and he was sitting in her quarters enjoying a cup of tea. "It's equally as good to have you back." 

Kathryn inclined her head in acknowledgment as she sipped her bland tea, coffee was too bitter for her to drink. "Thank you, Tuvok. It's good to be back" As she sat there talking with her old friend she couldn't help but think how perilously close she came to falling.


End file.
